Book-cover



(No Model.)

T. s. PALMER.

' BOOK COVER.

No. 553,963. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

WITNESEEE'LE f N N K 22;? Fadefiw XY B/maj'.

Cm. MW I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDRIOK S. PALMER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOK-COVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,963, dated February4, 1896.

Application filed March 23, 1895. Serial No. 542,991. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDRICK S. PALMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBook-Covers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,'

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in book-covers, whereby thelatter not only subserve their usual functions, but likewise perform theduty of serving as an easel or support by which to display a calendar,the latter being affixed to or appearing through the cover.

The object of my invention is to enable books of reference-such ascatalogues, pricelists, or any other book which is constantly on adeskto serve a further useful purpose, and by so doing the publicationwill be maintained constantly before the user, while at the same timethe additional duty is performed of indicating the months, weeks, anddays of the year. Thus whenever the book is consulted, or at such timesas it is laid one side, it serves as a ready reference to indicate thetime of the year.

The drawings represent, in Figure 1, a perspective view of a bookembodying my invention, where the calendar appears through an opening ina member of the cover. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the book, showingthe rear side of the front member of the cover. Fig. 3 is a transversevertical cross-section. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a modified formin which the calendar is affixed exteriorly of the member of the cover.

In said drawings, 2 represents a bound catalogue or other book of asimilar class which is constantly in use for reference. The front memberof the cover is indicated at 3 and the back member at 4. Frequently suchbooks get lost or mislaid, and it is a great annoy ance not to have thebook in place when immediate consultation is desired. It likewisehappens that catalogues, price-lists, or other books or pamphletscontaining various compiled matter are distributed; but as they are ofno great value the generality of them are consigned to the waste-basket.

The purpose of my invention is to multiply the duties of the cover, andthereby by making the book subserve a useful object to cause it to beretained in a conspicuous place, where it will attract attention and befrequently sought after when otherwise it would have been discarded asuseless rubbish.

To carry out my invention I propose to make the cover serve as acalendar, the back and front members acting as an easel-support. In thisWay I am enabled to make the cover perform a double duty, and in lieu ofa firm or company being obliged to publish a large number of catalogues,together with an equal number of calendars, the two are combined, whilethe utility of the calendar as sures the presence of the catalogue andsuggests reference or consultation when otherwise it might be neglectedand unused.

In practice I propose to cut an aperture or opening 5 in the cover,preferably the front member of the cover, through which appears theusual characters and numbers indicating the year, the month, the day ofthe week, and the day of the month. These several monthly cards or slipsare to be contained and held in place by. means of a pocket 6, affixedto the inside of the front cover, and as the cards occupy but littlespace they do not disturb the general. shape or symmetry of the book. Asbefore premised the book is bound with a back and a front member,flexibly united, While frequently in addition to the back member andcontiguous thereto is affixed a fly 7, which is jointed or flexed at 8or at a suitable distance below the back of the book. When this is bentor turned outwardly it serves as an easel-support. In this way the bookserves as a calendar, and as such, when it appears in an artistic ortasty cover, becomes an ornament, and therefore is retained constantlyin view upon the desk. As it in fact becomes a fixture it is always inplace, and therefore serves as a ready medium for consultation.

In Fig. at is shown a slightly-modified form, wherein the front memberof the cover is illtact, while the pocket 6 is secured upon the exteriorsurface with the monthly slips within it. Futhermore, in lieu of afly-leaf or second back member to serve as an easel-support, twinsupports or bars 7 may be attached to the back member of the cover.

I do not desire to be limited to the precise mode of forming the coverof the book to adapt it to the purpose for which it is intended, since Iconsider my invention is embodied in the arrangement of a book-coverwithin which is assembled a group of signatures, together with meanswhereby said cover may serve as an easel-support, and obj ectssuch asphotographs, engravings, 1i thographs or other pictorial iilustrationsmay be displayed either by attachment to a mem- FREDRICK S. PALMER.\Vitnesses:

MINA L. Mo'r'r, GEO. E. EMERY.

